Easy Chicken Thighs in Peanut Sauce with Green Beans
This simple recipe for chicken thighs baked in a deliciously sweet, sticky peanut sauce will be an instant favorite! Pair it with green beans for an easy and crowd-pleasing sheet pan meal. It comes from The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook by Julia Konovalova.
One of the most amazing and unexpected aspects of blogging has been the opportunity to connect with some amazing people working in the same space. There are so many talented cooks, writers, and photographers out there who inspire me, and high among them is Julia Konovalova, who blogs over at Imagelicious.
Julia has amazing recipes on her site, many written for the Instant Pot. What has always stood out to me most about her work is the stunning photography. Vibrant colors, beautiful styling, and an overall effect that makes you want to reach in and grab the food RIGHT NOW.
Given that, you won’t be surprised to learn that she recently published a cookbook, and it is an absolute work of art, as well.
The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook
The name of Julia’s cookbook is The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook, and it’s a beautiful collection of recipes, especially to see you through these cooler months. It has dozens and dozens of incredible ideas for using just one pan to bake, roast, and blacken your way to delicious meals. Here’s just a sampling of the amazing recipes you’ll find in the book:
- Thick Oven Omelet
- Oven-Baked Maple Sriracha Bacon (be still my heart…)
- Hoisin Maple-Glazed Salmon with Vegetables
- Family-Style Herb and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb
- Delicious Mini Dill Meatballs
- Turkey-Swiss Sliders with Cranberry Sauce
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon
- Addictive Garlic Cheese Toasts
- Roasted Cinnamon Bananas
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. You will want to make all the things.
You can tell the care that Julia put into this cookbook. Every recipe includes detailed, specific instructions – she’s obviously made a real effort to make sure you have as much success in the kitchen as she does! And, every single recipe has a gorgeous photo to go with it, which I just adore. We eat first with our eyes, after all!
I love that each and every recipe requires just one pan, whether it’s a sheet pan, Dutch oven, roasting pan, etc. Simplicity + easy clean-up = happy cooks!
I will say that many of the recipes require more than 30 minutes to bake or roast, so might be better options for a weekend over a rushed weeknight. The good news is that once they go in the oven, it’s mostly hands-off, so you’re free and clear to do exciting things like clean the kitchen, remind the toddler why Sharpies are off-limits, or hide in the pantry eating chocolate chips.
Hypothetically. 😉
Making easy chicken thighs in peanut sauce: what you’ll need
Out of all the recipes in Julia’s cookbook that jumped out at me, this was the one I chose to make first. I mean, how can you resist an easy sheet pan chicken dinner that involves a sweet, sticky, addicting peanut sauce!? Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Peanut butter.
- Lemon juice.
- Orange juice.
- Soy sauce.
- Sriracha.
- Chicken thighs – I find it easiest to use boneless, skinless thighs in this recipe, just as it’s written. Bone-in thighs would work great, also.
- Green beans.
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper.
I mean, really, can you ever go wrong with peanut butter!?
You’ll make a very simple sauce, and then it’s a simple matter of placing the chicken on a large sheet pan, pouring the sauce on top, and nestling in the green beans to the side.
Bake for half an hour on high heat, and you’re done.
Needless to say, I’m sharing the results with you because they are insanely delicious. This meal has already entered our regular rotation for easy, tasty dinners, and I know we’ll make it again and again. Any leftovers keep well, too. Hello, delicious work lunch!
A few tips and tricks
- Fresh lemon and orange juice has the best flavor, hands-down, but of course you can use bottled in a pinch.
- The recipe as originally written calls for 2 tablespoons of Sriracha in the sauce. This adds a great kick, but you might want to go a little easy on it if you’re serving kids.
- You’ll want to use a large, sturdy baking sheet. This is my go-to! (affiliate link)
- If you really want to make clean-up easy, line the pan before baking with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Don’t worry if the peanut sauce co-mingles with the green beans – it’s as tasty on veggies as it is on chicken.
- We typically serve this with a side of rice. I think some red potatoes or an arugula salad would also be delicious!
More easy chicken dinners:
- Brown Butter Sage Skillet Chicken
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Balsamic-Glazed Bruschetta Chicken
If you try these chicken thighs or any other recipe on the blog, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!
- One Year Ago: Carrot Red Pepper Soup
- Two Years Ago: Garlic Lime Shrimp with Coconut Rice
Julia’s full book, The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook, is available for purchase on Amazon!
Easy Chicken Thighs in Peanut Sauce with Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, low-sodium preferred
- 1-2 tbsp Sriracha
- 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3/4 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and washed
- kosher salt
- freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. While the oven preheats, combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with the peanut butter, lemon juice, orange juice, soy sauce, and Sriracha in a small glass bowl or measuring cup. Microwave for about 20 seconds, then stir or whisk to blend into a smooth mixture.
- Place the chicken thighs on a large baking pan, and make sure they are fully flattened. Pour half the sauce over the chicken, then flip each piece and pour the rest of the sauce, making sure that it fully covers the chicken.
- Spread the green beans next to the chicken in an even layer. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the green beans, season with salt and pepper to taste, and lightly mix with your hands or tongs to cover them with oil and seasoning.
- Roast for 30 minutes. The inside of the chicken should read 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, and the sauce will be thickened. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon and orange juice for the best flavor.
- The recipe as originally written calls for 2 tablespoons of Sriracha, but you might want to use only 1 tablespoon if you’re serving kids.
- For easy clean-up, line the pan before baking with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
This recipe is so delicious and quick and easy to make! I make extra sauce so all the beans are coated. My Husband and Son love this dish and they are both picky eaters.
Hi Laurie, that’s wonderful, so glad it’s a hit – I know how great it is when even the picky ones like something! 🙂 Thanks so much for the five stars!
Made this last night for dinner, it was SO GOOD! My husband went back for seconds and said it was some of the best chicken we’ve had. My toddler didn’t go for the chicken but gobbled up the green beans, so I’m counting the whole thing as a major win! I did serve it with rice and used skin-on thighs since that’s what I had. Worked great!
Hi Heather, that’s fantastic to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this nice feedback!
Oooh yes please! Everything about this sounds incredible. I’m always looking for more sheet pan suppers! I will definitely have to check out this cookbook!
Totally digging the sound of that sauce! I’d love to go all in on the Sriracha but you’re right, maybe I’ll hang back for my kiddos. On the plus side I can always drizzle some extra on mine and hubby’s!
I love cooking with chicken thighs, I swear they are so flavorful compared to breasts! And that peanut sauce – yum!